Clara and her Brother

This is Clara Jewett with a pet dog.

Clara had a daughter, Helen Jewett, who later became Helen Jewett McAleer. Helen ran a shop in Cortland for many years, the Little Bungalow Shop, which you can hear about in this video by the Cortland County Historical Society.

Clara also had a brother, David Eugene Smith. While his name might not sound familiar, he was a big deal! He was a major figure in math education, having written dozens of textbooks and many, many other publications. He also served as a librarian at the Teachers College, Columbia University, for nearly 20 years, so you already know he had a great sense of humor (like all librarians do).

February 7, 1908

Here is Monte with his collar

Waiting for DS to holler

And I’ll bet a silver dollar

If she starts he’ll up and foller



February 28, 1908

Many h.r. of the d. Just to think, 28 years old! And Speaking of the dog, why don't you give him a dog name, say Carlo? Even Monte Carlo would do, since you lose money on him every day. Personally, if I were a dog, I should prefer to be called Willy or even Mamie or Dolly to be called by such a senseless name as Monty. What does it stand for? Mountebank or Montgomery? If the latter, why not call him Gummy? He looks it in his picture.

February 28, 1908

Many h. r. of the d. I hope you will live to be older than Grandmother Smith when she was taken away. Do be careful of your health. They say that the plague is in San Francisco and that it is carried by rats. Be careful of rats. They say the rat flea gets on dogs and carries it. O do not play with Monte. If I were Monte I would want to have the plague unless I got a respectable name. I hope sister won’t be plagued.

February 28, 1908

Many h.r.o.t.d. I hope you will have over a half century of further usefulness to the world preserving in your noble ideal of uplifting humanities and conducting the work of the sewing circle. And speaking of the dog, was that photograph intended to be of DH or of the brute? And what is DH feeling of anyway? And why don't you change the name of the brute? And have you paid DB for the cards? And do you realize that I am getting nervous prostration writing so many cards and don't you wish you could take the rough sea trip with Uncle from Palermo to Naples?

February 28, 1908

M. h. r. o. t. d. What a blessing to have lived such a life half through or such a matter. And the dog! The dog with the sweet pet-name! I just dote on thinking of the name of that dog. Every time I think of its limpid sweetness I wonder if you have paid DB for the cards. I am just dyin’ to get to Naples to get a letter from you telling me if the dog’s name is still the same and how much the cards did cost.

February 29, 1908

So yesterday was sister’s b.d.! Well, m.h.r. of the d. 

May you live to endure many generations of dogs with real dog names after Kittie (or wherever that insipid name is) has been shot as a nuisance.

We reached here this afternoon. It is even more interesting than Taormina. We got about this view from our hotel window. It is spring-like and in the middle of the day it is pleasant to sit out.

March 1, 1908

The day before yesterday was s’s g.d.! Well, m.h.r.o.t.d. Do you know, I was reminded of that dog every minute in Constantinople? I can’t get over it. Mangy curs, the degenerates of their kind, dirty and lost to all self-respect - I just thought of that dog with a baby name that DS loves, and it made me feel at home. Our hotel is on the edge of this latomia (ancient quarry). From my balcony I look down 50-76 ft into the excavation, now a park. Some 7000 Athenian prisoners were starved here once, but U gets enough to eat.

March 2, 1908

So the day before day before yesterday was s. b. d. Well, m. h. r. o. t. d. I hope M. is standing it. Do you know, I think his name is the worst ever! What did he do to deserve it? Eat up his mother, teach a Sunday school class, or what?

This shows the ancient quarry by which our hotel stands, as seen from below. If I had a dog with such a name I would take him up on a rock like this + leave him there + I would jump

March 3, 1908

It is now four days since s’s b. d. Well, m. h. r. o.

t. d. It occurs to me that if s. had been b. one day later + one year earlier she would now have had 9 birthdays; therefore since she was born 1 year later than a year earlier would have been she must now be 8 yrs old, plus a day for good measure. That seems to me just about the right age to give such a name to one’s dog. And what a place this harbor of Syracuse would be to drown a dog with such a name. As for me, if I could not change the baptismal cognomen, I should want to drown myself. DES

March 4, 1908

It is now 5 d. Since s.b.d. W., m.h.r.o.t.d. Do you know, I wonder if that dog liked the present we sent from Madras, the cotton cloth with a stripe on. I’ll warrant it was ripped to pieces before he got hold of it. I have made a careful study of Syracuse in the four days we have been here, to find the best place to drown such a name as that dog has + it strikes me that this quay would be the place. The authorities would object to polluting the water with such a name, although a dog more or less would attract no attention in any Italian harbor.

March 19, 1908

There are many side streets like this Salita here in Naples, full of life and color and beggars and dirt. Monte would be in his element here. DES

March 24, 1908

This is how I would feel if you and Helen and DB were here and the dog. I'd like to drop a dog with such a name down the crater and see him fired out. DES

March 29, 1908

Raphael's picture of Cortland people on April 8, rejoicing over the complete convalescence of a mangy dog suffering under the name of Monte.

March 29, 1908

AF has gone for a drive with Mrs. Sherman. I have been for a walk. Our first warmish day in Italy just because I have a new winter overcoat.

We are pained to hear that the dog has been sick. I really am sorry. For I bear him no ill will. It's only the name that I think is the worst. I ever did hear for a dog and I really believe that's what made him sick. He is getting old enough to understand how wretched it is.